Infant&#39;s band



Feb. 17, 1931.

W. A. ALEXANDER INFANTS BAND Filed Sept. 15, 1925 Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICJE v WILLIAM A. ALEXANDER, OF WEST ROXBURY, lvIASSAGI-IUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO EARN- SHAW KNITTING COMPANY, OF NEW/TON,

MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF INFANT S BAN D Application filed September 15, 1925.

This invention relates to infants bands or shirts and while capable of general application to undergarments of this character, it is more particularly designed with reference to bands or shirts knitted in tubular form.

In the manufacture of infants bands or shirts it has been customary to weave a continuous tube of knitted fabric with the wales running lengthwise of the tube to give the garment great elasticity laterally and to form the garments from out ofi sections of the tubing. In order to'preve-nt unravelling of the edges it has been customary to stitch them with elastic stitching, that is a form of stitching which would permit the edge of the garment to stretch. Some difficulty has, however, been experienced in stitching the lower edge of the garment because the elastic stitching, while permitting of certain amount of stretch, does not permit the full elasticity of the knitted garment to be taken advantage of with the result that the lower edge of the band or shirt to a greater or less extent binds uncomfortably about the body of the infant.

It has also been customary in making undergarments of this character to provide tabs on the lower portion of said garments for the attaching of diapers thereto. In some cases, these tabs have been cut out as depending portions of the lower edge but in other cases,

tabs have been stitched to the lower edge at intervals to form reinforcements for the fabric to receive the attaching means. In all cases, however, the lower edge of the garment has been provided with stitching which restricts to a greater or less extent the stretch of that edge.

Serial No. 56,487.

thereto without tearing or unduly stretching the band or shirt.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically set forth and described hereinafter.

One of the important features of my invention consists in scalloping the lower edge of an infants band or shirt and turning the scalloped edge upwardly and securing it to a body-portion of the garment by elastic stitching. Preferably, the scallops are suificiently deep and pronounced to avoid restricting the stretchabilityof the garment in lateral direction and the lower edge is turned up an amount suflicient to bring the scalloped edge some distance above the lower edge of the garment in order that that edge may be throughout its length a folded edge. I have found that with pronounced scallops secured to the body-portion by elastic stitching that the lateral stretchability of the garment is not at all restricted so that the body of the garment is all of equal stretchability throughout its entire length.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an infants band or shirt made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 in Fig. 1 looking from right to left and Fig. 3 is an elevation ofa portion of the scalloped lower edge of the garment before it is turned up and secured to the body-portion.

Referring to the drawings showing an infants band or shirt made in accordance with my invention, 10 designates a body-portion of the same having shoulder straps 12, the

The main Obiect of my invention is the edges of which are secured against ravelling ric in a lateral direction along those portions of the scalloped edge which are approximately parallel to the folded lower edge of the garment but the attachment of the scalloped edge by Zig-Zag stitching permits stretching of the fabric in the direction of the line of stitching and consequently the stretchability of the garment as a whole is not materially lessened by securing the scalloped edge to the body of the garment.

The distance between the folded edge 22 and the portions 18 on the scalloped edge may be varied to suit convenience or different uses and results but preferably there ought to be a sufiicient distance therebetween to afford a folded edge of sufficient depth to stand strains. Preferably the scalloped edge is turned inwardly and secured to the inner face of the tubular body-portion but it is evident that it may, if desired, be turned outwardly and upwardly and secured to the outer face of said portion. The number of scallops in the lower edge of the garment may be varied at will but I have found that the provision of four scallops of the general proportion shown in the drawings is best adapted for general purposes because thereby there is formed on the bottom portion of the garment four reinforced areas, two at the sides, one in front and one in back which areas are adapted to receive and hold the means for attaching diapers or other lower garments to the band or shirt. A greater or lesser number of scallops may be formed, however, in the lower edge of the garment without departing from my invention al though it is to be understood that the greater the number of scallops, unless the same are deeply cut, the nearer to a straight line they approach and the more the elastic stitching securing the said scallops to the body-portion of the garment tends to restrict the stretch of the garment at that point.

Although my invention is designed with particular reference to tubular knitted garments, it is not to be limited thereto since it may be applied with equal advantage to knitted garments which are seamed longitudinally or made from pieces. In some cases, it may be found desirable to provide'the folded bottom edge of the infants band with elastic stitching in order to hold the two thicknesses together and to maintain the shape of the garment especially where the elastic stitching securing the scalloped edge of the upturned edge does not come very close to the lower folded edge. My invention may also be found of advantage in garments which do not stretch, for the purpose of facfitating thegnanufacture of such garments having reinforced areas at the bottom for receiving means for attaching lower gar- -1nents thereto.

What I claim is 1 .,An infants band or shirt comprising a a tubular elastic body-portion having the 5 edge of its lower end scalloped and turned upwardly a sufficient distance to leave a continuous folded edge at the bottom of said body-portion; said scalloped edge being secured to said body-portion by elastic zig-zag stitching.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of September, 1925.

WILLIAM A. ALEXANDER. 

